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Enrichment Programs

International Student Orientation Program

The International Student Orientation Program is a two-week intensive program that integrates English language instruction with preparation to succeed in Grier School's academic departments. The orientation program targets three basic goals, detailed below.

Goals

List of 3 items.

Program Details

Students attend seven hours of classroom instruction with a two-hour supervised study hall throughout the week. The student to teacher ratio in the orientation program is 8:1, or lower, to provide for individualized instruction. A variety of materials, up-to-date language learning techniques, and digital instruction are used to provide a comprehensive preparation program.

Students study in the following classes six days per week for the duration of the orientation program. In the afternoon, students participate in a variety of activities such as horseback riding, art, and yoga.

  1. Speaking and Writing
  2. Reading
  3. Listening Comprehension
  4. Literature
  5. US History and Current Events
  6. Laboratory Science
  7. Daily Enrichment Hour

Why Attend Orientation at Grier?

  1. Students become familiar with campus, faculty, and peers. The orientation program helps girls maximize their Grier School experience and best prepares students to successfully enroll in Grier’s most challenging AP classes.
  2. Adjustment to the US style of education is easier when there are fewer students on campus. This helps to make the first semester of classes, when over 300 girls are enrolled, more manageable.
  3. Being in the US, on our campus, is the best introduction to the educational adventure of studying abroad and participating in a great variety of new activities.
  4. Grier’s healthy environment and clean air offer a perfect place to develop wonderful friendships that will last a lifetime.
  5. The combination of cultural exchange, enrichment opportunities, and educational weekend trips creates an orientation program designed for student preparation and empowerment unique to Grier School.

Grier College Placement

Students who attend the International Student Orientation Program are successful students at Grier and go on to earn acceptance at top universities, including:

  • Bates College
  • Bryn Mawr College
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Cornell University
  • Emory University
  • Georgetown
  • Harvey Mudd College
  • New York University
  • Northwestern University
  • Smith College
  • UC Berkeley
  • UCLA
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Virginia
  • Vassar College

Top Elite Scholars who also have an interest in art have been admitted in recent years to such program as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, and Parsons' the New School for Design. To be admitted at these institutions, a student needs superb artistic ability, but also very high results on the SAT® test.

About Grier

  • Founded in 1853, one of America's oldest boarding schools
  • Located in the beautiful mountains of central Pennsylvania
  • Near Penn State University (7th largest university in the United States)
  • Extremely secure campus in a safe countryside setting
  • Accredited by Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges

ISOP Team

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Kallie Brubaker

    Kallie Brubaker 

    Teacher
  • Photo of Anthony Lang

    Anthony Lang 

    Dean of Faculty\English Dept. Chair
  • Photo of Steven Packnick

    Steven Packnick 

    Department Chair

Weekday Schedule 

8am Breakfast
9am-12pm Morning Sessions
12pm Lunch
1-4pm Afternoon Sessions
5pm Dinner
5:30-8:30pm Evening Activities
9:45pm Room Bell
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Grier School

2522 Grier School Rd. | P.O. Box 308; Birmingham, PA 16686-0308
Phone: 814-684-3000 | Fax: 814-684-2177